Gold fears fresh Magpies swoop for Bruce

Birmingham chairman David Gold has admitted he would expect Newcastle to make another bid to land Steve Bruce as manager next summer – if results under Graeme Souness fail to improve.

Bruce was understood to be Newcastle supremo Freddy Shepherd’s first choice to succeed Bobby Robson in September but he was unsuccessful in luring him away from St Andrews.

The reward for Bruce, whose side visit St James’ Park in the Barclays Premiership on Saturday, was a new five-year contract.

But Gold is realistic enough to know that Shepherd will try to make a bid for the Birmingham manager’s services should Souness fail to deliver the goods.

Gold told the Birmingham Evening Mail: “We all know what went on earlier in the season when Newcastle came in for Bruce and it’s fair to say the whole business gave us considerable grief and cost a lot of money.

“It was only natural that Steve was tempted. They are his boyhood club but we fought off Newcastle, gave Steve a new five-year contract and he committed his future to us.

“Newcastle ended up with Graeme Souness who was, we keep hearing, about their fifth choice.

“Would they come in for Steve again in the summer?

“Well, I suppose you have to be realistic and say that anything is possible.

“Would Freddy Shepherd sack the manager within a year of him taking over?

“Again, you have to think that, yes, he would if results don’t improve and he thought he could get the man he wanted all along (Bruce).

“From our point of view, we will cross that bridge if we come to it.

“If you sit here now and start to think about what might or might not happen, you would drive yourself mad.

“But I know that Steve is happy here and he enjoys the support he gets from us as a board, the players and the fans.”